The Co-Living Show

Craig Curelop and Miller McSwain
  • 5.0 (126)
  • INVESTING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Co-living is one of the most misunderstood, and highest-potential, ​ strategies in residential real estate investing. Most investors hear the buzzwords, see the cash-flow claims, and immediately assume it’s either too risky, too operationally intense, or too complicated to scale. The truth is simpler: coliving work exceptionally well when built on systems, governed by operational clarity, and executed like a real business, not a side hustle. The Co-Living Show exists to make that clarity accessible for serious professionals who want smarter returns without gambling on guesswork.​​Hosted by BiggerPockets authors Craig Curelop and Miller McSwain, The Co-Living Show goes far beyond surface-level real estate content. This is the only real estate investing podcast dedicated exclusively to the economics, operations, regulations, and strategic frameworks that drive high-density co-living and shared housing at scale. Whether you’re new to the model or a high-earning, time-poor professional seeking exposure to a sophisticated cash-flow real estate strategy without becoming an operator, this show delivers the confidence, understanding, and insight needed to invest intelligently.​​Each episode takes you inside the real-world systems behind co-living performance. You’ll hear from operators running multi-market portfolios, attorneys specializing in zoning and compliance, designers who understand space optimization and profitability, lenders financing room-by-room rental strategies, and property managers and city officials shaping the future of affordable housing innovation. You’ll also hear from the Co-Living Cash Flow Community, everyday investors solving operational challenges and executing the exact frameworks discussed on the show.​ 👉 Join the community: www.millermcswain.com/community​​There is no fluff here. No hype. No motivational noise. Every conversation is grounded in data, regulatory insight, operational logic, and investor-level clarity. Co-living is not “passive income.” It’s not a shortcut. It’s a system. And systems — when executed correctly — produce scalable, predictable returns that outperform traditional rental models. This is not speculative theory. It’s cash-flow real estate strategy in action.​​Craig brings acquisitions, underwriting, and market strategy. Miller brings operations, pricing systems, and standardization frameworks that make coliving scalable. Together, they deliver an operator’s perspective of an asset class most investors only see from the outside. As BiggerPockets authors, educators, and practitioners, they simplify complexity without diluting truth: coliving works, but only when done correctly.​​You’ll hear underwriting breakdowns, operator case studies, deal teardowns, regulatory realities, tenant strategy, market analysis, and the economic logic behind high-density residential investing. You’ll learn how to invest passively, partner with experienced operators, or simply understand the business model in depth, even if you never plan to manage a property yourself.​​The Co-Living Show does not claim co-living works. It proves when, why, and under what conditions it works.​​If you want confidence instead of conjecture, systems instead of speculation, and clarity instead of chaos, this is your source of truth for professional-grade residential real estate investing.​​Subscribe and join thousands of investors building deeper understanding, stronger portfolios, and smarter strategies, without wasting time on noise.​​This is the future of residential real estate investing. And now you’ll finally understand how it works.​​

  1. EP 11 - From 0 to 600+ Rooms: How Franco Scaled Co-Living Across the U.S.

    7H AGO

    EP 11 - From 0 to 600+ Rooms: How Franco Scaled Co-Living Across the U.S.

    In this episode of The Co-Living Show, we sit down with Franco Montano, a seasoned operator managing 600+ co-living rooms (and owning 150+ himself), to break down what it actually takes to scale a co-living portfolio. Franco shares how he transitioned from running a 42-location T-Mobile business with 750 employees into real estate—and why co-living became his highest ROI strategy. If you’re serious about building a cash-flowing co-living portfolio, this episode is packed with real-world insights you won’t hear anywhere else. 🔑 What You’ll Learn: How Franco scaled to 600+ rooms under managementWhy co-living works even in expensive markets (remote investing strategy)The truth about tenant demand, pricing, and vacancy cyclesHow to structure leases to avoid winter vacanciesWhy most operators fail due to poor underwriting (not operations)Franco’s remodel strategy (including converting homes for under $10K)The biggest mistakes new co-living investors makeHow to build systems and teams to scale beyond 20+ roomsWhy affordable, safe, and clean housing beats fancy amenitiesReal talk on tenant screening, evictions, and long-term retention🧠 Key Takeaway: Co-living isn’t complicated because of tenants, It’s complicated because of systems, operations, and scaling. Master those, and the upside is massive. 🔗 Connect with Franco: 📧 Email: Franco@highestmanagement.com 🌐 Website: highestmanagement.com 🔗 Connect with Us: 📸 Miller McSwain: https://www.instagram.com/millermcswain  📸 Craig Curelop: https://www.instagram.com/craigcurelop 💬 Join The Co-Living Community: https://millermcswain.com/community 🚀 Resources Mentioned: 👉 CoLiving Pro (Marketing + Pricing Tool):  https://www.colivingpro.io If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to follow the show, leave a review, and share it with another investor looking to scale in co-living.

    58 min
  2. EP 10 - The Co-Living Lending Playbook: How Smart Investors Structure Deals (Most Miss This)

    APR 15

    EP 10 - The Co-Living Lending Playbook: How Smart Investors Structure Deals (Most Miss This)

    The Co-Living Lending Playbook: How Smart Investors Structure Deals Financing is the part of co-living that most investors underestimate… until a deal almost falls apart. In this episode of The Co-Living Show, Miller McSwain and Craig Curelop sit down with Jessica Khani, a top 1% loan originator and real estate investor who has helped structure and close a large portion of their portfolio.  They break down what actually happens behind the scenes of getting deals funded—and why the right lender is often the difference between scaling and getting stuck. This is not theory. These are real stories, real deals, and real mistakes. 🔑 What You’ll Learn:  Why co-living financing is different from traditional real estate  How to choose the right lender (and what questions to ask)  Conventional vs FHA vs DSCR loans explained simply  Why “shopping for the lowest rate” can cost you deals  Creative financing strategies (interest-only, seller concessions, etc.)  Real stories of deals nearly falling apart—and how they were saved  🔗 Connect with Us  Miller McSwain → https://www.instagram.com/millermcswain Craig Curelop → https://www.instagram.com/craigcurelop Jessica Khani → https://www.instagram.com/homeswithjessicakhani/ 💬 Join the Community Want help with your next deal or financing strategy? Join The Co-Living Community to connect with other operators and get real feedback. ⭐ If You Found This Valuable Share this episode with another investor and leave a review, it helps us reach more operators.

    1h 6m
  3. EP 9 - How Alfredo Scaled to 800 Co-Living Doors in 12 Months (Systems, Ops & Strategy)

    APR 9

    EP 9 - How Alfredo Scaled to 800 Co-Living Doors in 12 Months (Systems, Ops & Strategy)

    In this episode of The Co-Living Show, Miller McSwain and Craig Curelop sit down with Alfredo Goytia, a co-living operator who scaled from 0 to 800 doors in just 12 months. This is not theory—this is real-world execution. Alfredo breaks down exactly how he built a high-performance co-living operation, including:  The systems required to scale from small portfolios to hundreds of doors  Why co-living operations are more about processes than properties How automation and tech replace traditional property management models  The biggest mistakes operators make when trying to scale  Why managing 8 tenants vs 800 tenants comes down to systems—not complexity We also dive into:  Transitioning from traditional rentals to co-living  Property management software and tools for scaling  Lead flow, tenant communication, and operational bottlenecks  The mindset shift required to operate at scale If you're serious about co-living investing, scaling rental portfolios, or building systems-driven real estate businesses, this is one of the most tactical episodes we’ve ever recorded. As Alfredo shares, scaling isn’t about doing more work, it’s about building better systems.  📲 Connect with the hosts & guest:  Miller McSwain: https://www.instagram.com/millermcswain  Craig Curelop: https://www.instagram.com/craigcurelop  Alfredo Goytia: https://www.instagram.com/fredofyre

    1h 8m
  4. EP 8 - Co-Living Operations Explained: Lessons from Managing 400+ Rooms

    APR 2

    EP 8 - Co-Living Operations Explained: Lessons from Managing 400+ Rooms

    Scaling a co-living business isn’t about buying more properties. It’s about building systems that actually work. In this episode of The Co-Living Show, Miller McSwain and Craig Curelop sit down with Dave Edwards—an experienced co-living operator who has managed over 400 rooms—to break down the real operational systems behind scaling co-living rentals successfully. If you’re a real estate investor, house hacker, or co-living operator trying to increase cash flow, improve occupancy, and streamline property management, this episode gives you a behind-the-scenes look at what it actually takes to run co-living at scale. 🚀 What You’ll Learn About Co-Living Investing:  How to scale a co-living business from 1 property to hundreds of rooms  The exact systems used to manage 400+ co-living units efficiently Common mistakes new co-living investors make (and how to avoid them)  How to design your property and operations for long-term scalability  The best lock systems, tenant management workflows, and maintenance processes  Why most co-living operators struggle with operations—and how to fix it  How to think like a professional operator, even with your first deal 🧠 Why This Episode Matters: Most real estate investors focus on acquisitions.  But in co-living, operations determine your profit. Dave shares lessons learned from managing hundreds of tenants, testing multiple systems, and refining processes over time—so you don’t have to learn everything the hard way. This episode is especially valuable if you’re:  Scaling beyond your first co-living property  Struggling with tenant management or turnover  Trying to increase occupancy and rental income  Looking to build a repeatable co-living system 💡 Key Takeaway: You don’t need 400 rooms to build scalable systems.  But you do need to think like someone who does. 🔗 Connect with the Hosts: Miller McSwain (Co-Living Investor | Author of Co-Living Cash Flow) 👉 https://www.instagram.com/millermcswain Craig Curelop (Real Estate Investor | Author of The House Hacking Strategy) 👉 https://www.instagram.com/craigcurelop 🎙 About the Guest: Dave Edwards is a co-living operator based in Houston who has managed 400+ rooms and built scalable systems for operations, tenant management, and property optimization. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djedwards83/ 📘 Resources for Co-Living Investors:  Get the book: Co-Living Cash Flow (https://millermcswain.com/book/) Join the Co-Living Community (Facebook Group)  👉 https://millermcswain.com/community/⭐ Enjoying The Co-Living Show? If this episode helped you:  Follow the show  Leave a 5-star review  Share it with another investor

    1h 11m
  5. EP 7 - From $400K Loss to Millions: The Co-Living Lending Comeback Story

    MAR 25

    EP 7 - From $400K Loss to Millions: The Co-Living Lending Comeback Story

    From $400K Loss to Lending Millions: The Co-Living Comeback Story In this episode, we’re joined by Fernando Corona, a co-living lender who’s helped investors close hundreds of deals—and built his business after losing over $400,000. We break down the real path to success in co-living: failure, resilience, and learning how to solve problems most investors avoid. Fernando shares how he:  Went from zero income to owning multiple co-living properties  Built a lending business by solving his own financing problems  Uses creative loan strategies to help investors scale faster We also dive into:  DSCR loans vs. bank statement loans  Financing renovations into your purchase  Why most investors misunderstand risk  How to think like an operator, not just an investor 👥 Connect with the Hosts & Guest: Miller McSwain: https://www.instagram.com/millermcswain/ Craig Curelop: https://www.instagram.com/craigcurelop/ Fernando Corona: https://www.instagram.com/itsfernandocorona/ 🔔 Subscribe & Follow: Follow The Co-Living Show for weekly episodes covering:  Deal analysis  Operations & systems  Financing strategies  Real stories from active operators If this episode helped you, share it with someone who’s trying to get their first (or next) co-living deal.

    1h 14m
  6. EP 6 - The Co-Living Operator’s Secret Weapon: Systems, Automation, and Scale

    MAR 18

    EP 6 - The Co-Living Operator’s Secret Weapon: Systems, Automation, and Scale

    In this episode of The Co-Living Show, Craig Curelop and Miller McSwain are joined by Jordan Smith, a co-living operator who has built a 30-bedroom portfolio with a strong focus on systems, automation, and operational efficiency. Jordan breaks down how he got started with his first house hack, what the numbers looked like on that first deal, and how his background in management consulting shaped the way he now runs his portfolio. The conversation covers lead generation, pre-screening, automations, communication systems, maintenance workflows, tenant issues, and the operational mindset required to scale co-living well. They also discuss why co-living should be treated like a real business, not just a real estate strategy, and why investors need to think carefully about return on equity as they grow. If you want a more practical look at what it takes to build a sustainable co-living operation, this episode is for you. Connect with the hosts: Miller McSwain: www.instagram.com/millermcswain Craig Curelop: www.instagram.com/craigcurelop Connect with Jordan Smith: Instagram: www.instagram.com/smith.t.jordan

    54 min
  7. EP 5 - How Clara Scaled Co-Living to 160 Rooms in 2.5 Years Without Ads

    MAR 11

    EP 5 - How Clara Scaled Co-Living to 160 Rooms in 2.5 Years Without Ads

    In this episode of The Co-Living Show, Craig Curelop and Miller McSwain are joined by co-living pioneer Clara Arroyave, who scaled a 160-room co-living portfolio generating nearly $2M annually using the arbitrage model. Clara shares how she filled rooms without paid marketing by partnering directly with employers, universities, and HR departments, how her portfolio grew rapidly in Boston, and what ultimately happened when COVID disrupted the arbitrage model. She also explains the lessons she learned from scaling quickly, why arbitrage shouldn’t be your long-term strategy, and how she’s now focused on purpose-built co-living developments. Topics covered include: • Building a 160-room co-living portfolio • Filling rooms through employer and university partnerships • The risks of the arbitrage model • Designing co-living properties that maximize occupancy • Why private bathrooms increase tenant retention • The future of co-living housing If you're investing in co-living, house hacking, or room-by-room rentals, this episode provides real insights from someone who has operated at scale. Follow the hosts and guest: Craig Curelop – https://instagram.com/craigcurelop Miller McSwain – https://instagram.com/millermcswain Clara Arroyave – https://instagram.com/lifeisrocknroll

    55 min
  8. EP 4 - 500 Rooms. One Strategy: How Harrison Scales Co-Living in 100+ Unit Buildings

    MAR 4

    EP 4 - 500 Rooms. One Strategy: How Harrison Scales Co-Living in 100+ Unit Buildings

    In this episode of The Co-Living Show, Craig Curelop and Miller McSwain welcome Harrison DeMaira, a large-scale co-living operator with experience managing everything from small townhouse conversions to 100+ unit buildings and 400-unit purpose-built co-living developments. Harrison breaks down what changes when you scale co-living into multifamily—and what operators get wrong when they assume co-living leases like traditional rentals. We cover the real leasing funnel, scrappy marketing that still works (signage + employer outreach), the operational systems you must build early, and how to think about furnishing, unit design, and resident experience at scale. We also unpack: What Common Living was and why it went defunct (and what co-living operators can learn from it)Why Harrison avoids 2-bedroom co-living unitsThe bathroom-to-resident rule he won’t breakWhy leasing + marketing is the foundation that makes everything else easierOutsourcing earlier (and the accounting mistake most operators make)And an unforgettable operations story involving an emotional support duck and a missing snakeIf you’re trying to fill rooms faster, scale beyond one property, or understand what multifamily co-living really looks like—this episode is for you. Follow the hosts: Miller McSwain: https://www.instagram.com/millermcswainCraig Curelop: https://www.instagram.com/craigcurelop Guest: Harrison DeMaira Email: hpd@harrisondemaira.com If you enjoyed the episode, please follow the show and leave a rating/review, it helps more operators find the podcast.

    1h 9m
See All (315)

5
out of 5
126 Ratings

About

Co-living is one of the most misunderstood, and highest-potential, ​ strategies in residential real estate investing. Most investors hear the buzzwords, see the cash-flow claims, and immediately assume it’s either too risky, too operationally intense, or too complicated to scale. The truth is simpler: coliving work exceptionally well when built on systems, governed by operational clarity, and executed like a real business, not a side hustle. The Co-Living Show exists to make that clarity accessible for serious professionals who want smarter returns without gambling on guesswork.​​Hosted by BiggerPockets authors Craig Curelop and Miller McSwain, The Co-Living Show goes far beyond surface-level real estate content. This is the only real estate investing podcast dedicated exclusively to the economics, operations, regulations, and strategic frameworks that drive high-density co-living and shared housing at scale. Whether you’re new to the model or a high-earning, time-poor professional seeking exposure to a sophisticated cash-flow real estate strategy without becoming an operator, this show delivers the confidence, understanding, and insight needed to invest intelligently.​​Each episode takes you inside the real-world systems behind co-living performance. You’ll hear from operators running multi-market portfolios, attorneys specializing in zoning and compliance, designers who understand space optimization and profitability, lenders financing room-by-room rental strategies, and property managers and city officials shaping the future of affordable housing innovation. You’ll also hear from the Co-Living Cash Flow Community, everyday investors solving operational challenges and executing the exact frameworks discussed on the show.​ 👉 Join the community: www.millermcswain.com/community​​There is no fluff here. No hype. No motivational noise. Every conversation is grounded in data, regulatory insight, operational logic, and investor-level clarity. Co-living is not “passive income.” It’s not a shortcut. It’s a system. And systems — when executed correctly — produce scalable, predictable returns that outperform traditional rental models. This is not speculative theory. It’s cash-flow real estate strategy in action.​​Craig brings acquisitions, underwriting, and market strategy. Miller brings operations, pricing systems, and standardization frameworks that make coliving scalable. Together, they deliver an operator’s perspective of an asset class most investors only see from the outside. As BiggerPockets authors, educators, and practitioners, they simplify complexity without diluting truth: coliving works, but only when done correctly.​​You’ll hear underwriting breakdowns, operator case studies, deal teardowns, regulatory realities, tenant strategy, market analysis, and the economic logic behind high-density residential investing. You’ll learn how to invest passively, partner with experienced operators, or simply understand the business model in depth, even if you never plan to manage a property yourself.​​The Co-Living Show does not claim co-living works. It proves when, why, and under what conditions it works.​​If you want confidence instead of conjecture, systems instead of speculation, and clarity instead of chaos, this is your source of truth for professional-grade residential real estate investing.​​Subscribe and join thousands of investors building deeper understanding, stronger portfolios, and smarter strategies, without wasting time on noise.​​This is the future of residential real estate investing. And now you’ll finally understand how it works.​​

Information

  • Creator
    Craig Curelop and Miller McSwain
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    315
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Co-Living Show
  • Show Website
    The Co-Living Show

You Might Also Like